About     Contact     Archives     Videos     Events     Hair Transplant

(female)
I have a problem with my hair where all of the hair all over my head will grow…except for the hair in the back of my head. I have let my hair grow down past my eyes and ears in the front of my hair, but the back of my hair barely has grown enough to pinch with your fingers. Why won’t my hair grow in the back? What can I do to get the hair to start growing??

I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand your question and I don’t know enough about your medical history. There is never a substitute for a direct examination and even a photo of you will not show clearly what is going on. Please see a doctor where you can have a one-on-one dialogue, including an examination of your head and scalp.

Recently my wife became pregnant. I currently take minoxidil and am wondering if I am putting her (and the baby) at risk by sharing the same bed, incidental contact, etc.

Thanks for your help.

You can use minoxidil even if your wife is pregnant. So go ahead and push those beds together and be near your wife.

Your wife (or any woman) should not use minoxidil directly while pregnant, though. See Minoxidil and Pregnancy for more on that.

Hi Doctor,

Is there a relationship between Aminexil and ovarian cysts? I had an ovarian cystectomy last year and I started using aminexil recently which greatly improved my hair loss situation. However, lately, I’ve been feeling that the cyst may have returned.

I didn’t get it checked yet but I need to know whether to stop Aminexil or not.

I can’t blindly recommend taking or stopping a medication to someone other than my own patients. While many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) use this drug, it is the condition that tends to produce ovarian cysts, not the aminexil. You’re already under the care of a doctor, so I’d ask him/her what you should do next.

Hi,

Recently at age 31 I have been diagnosed with female pattern baldness, although both of my parents have a lot of hair. I was told to wash my hair every 3 days because i lose a lot in the shower and then brushing it. My scalps starts to get really itchy after 2 days and then i shed a lot of hair, why is that so? I do not have psorasis and scalp seems to be in good condition. Is it cause I have too much dht? Also have you heard of any good results with laser hair treatments?

I have not heard of or seen any good results with laser hair treatments. In my opinion laser hair treatments do not work.

Washing your hair less will not cause you to lose less hair unless you are rough in the wash. There is no relationship between washing hair and hair loss. You can wash your hair as you like. Your itchy scalp might be looked at by a local dermatologist.

Hi there… I am a female who has had a 1600 graft transplant using the strip method and am considering a second procedure of 1,000 grafts with a different surgeon. I am very concerned about shock loss, which I did have after the first transplant. Below is an extract from a doctor’s website. I would be grateful to hear your opinions on this.

Thanks

“[FUE] allows for the extraction of 4000+ follicular units in a single day session. Removing individual follicles with a microscopic instrument allows the skin to heal quickly and naturally. Patients receive greater freedom regarding hair styling choices and a diminished healing time, allowing them to return to the normal activities of life sooner.” [note: quote edited]

Firstly, 4000 FUE grafts in one session without damage to the grafts during extraction is something that I simply don’t believe. I would have to see it and judge the transection rate under this surgeon’s hands. As for this doctor discontinuing the use of the strip harvesting method “due to its highly invasive nature” as his site states, well, this is more a marketing ploy than anything else. If the doctor could successfully do the amount of grafts using FUE that he claims, that’s great — but as I said, I highly doubt 4,000 FUEs can be done in one session with minimal transection rates. Plus, if you were to have this done, you would have to shave your head. I don’t know that most people would be prepared to do that. You’d have good reason to be skeptical.

In your case, shock loss will probably happen again. Shock loss in women often happens on the second and third procedure, but it usually grows back. Even the anesthesia can cause it in some women.

I am 62 years of age. At the beginning of August I had a prolapse repair and a vaginal total hysterectomy. I have recovered very well from the operation but have noticed that I am experiencing some hair loss which is more than normal upon combing and washing my hair.

You probably have a telogen effluvium which will eventually resolve when you hair goes out of the shock caused by the surgery. This is not uncommon.

(female)
My hair loss is concentrated on the top and front of my head, and is happening slowly. Does that mean it must be androgenetic alopecia (as opposed to telogen effluvium)? Also, I noticed the loss about 10 months after moving (from the US) to Korea. Life in Korea isn’t stressful - is it possible that something else about the change or Korea could cause hair loss? For example, the water?

You may have a variant of female hair loss that impacts just the frontal area, not the back of the head. This genetic condition can be triggered by stress. Get your hair mapped out for miniaturization and then the diagnosis should be evident. Telogen effluvium does not behave this way.

(female)
I have been on prednisone for seven months for eustacian tube dysfunction. My hair started falling out when I weaned down to 5 mg of prednisone. I have been off the pred for four weeks and my hair is still falling out a lot. I have no other medical conditions and my primary checked my blood for anemia, thyroid etc. All very normal. My hair is so then only a few weeks away from a wig. Is there any way to stop this and will my hair grow back?

You may have a telogen effluvium and this may reverse in time with hair regrowth in 6-18 months. The use of minoxidil may help, but better do this under the direction of a good doctor.

What is the best form of DHT blocking for post menopausal women. Is it safe to use propecia in my case?

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) does not usually cause hair loss in women. As mentioned before (Female Genetic Hair Loss Is Different From Male Genetic Hair Loss), the common causes of women’s hair loss are different than typical causes of men’s hair loss.

Although the DHT blocker Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is not approved by the FDA for use in women, there are doctors that will sometimes prescribe it for women, but these are highly individualized cases that require patient education and informed consent. First, the woman should make sure that they are not carrying the breast cancer genes. If they are not, then there is little downside that I know of. Many, many doctors are prescribing Propecia for post menopausal women because the protective effect of estrogen is reduced. The reports, however, are anecdotal and not trustworthy.

I am officially confused!!! I have been researching oral contraceptives that are said to help improve conditions such as acne and thinning hair, and thought that Yasmin and YAZ were good candidates for these conditions. Did I misunderstand, or is Drospirenone(the progestin used in these OC’s)said to have nonandrogenic effects thus blocking excess testosterone which may lead to acne and hair loss?

Testosterone is generally not a cause of hair loss in women, but it may be in special types of medical conditions such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Drospirenone/Estradiol can cause hair loss (see Drugs.com). In fact, many drugs (if you read the label carefully) state in their side effect profiles that hair loss is a possibility. I’ve seen that Yaz’s list of rare side effects does say “increased hair growth, or loss of scalp hair” — so I guess it means that you could see more hair growth (not specifically on the scalp) or lose your head hair. You should not be choosing medications (birth control) based on improving your hair condition.

There are few drugs that are associated with hair growth, but unfortunately none of them will help your cause. For example, minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine) can cause hair growth all over your body when taken orally, not just on your scalp — but please, do not drink minoxidil. I was referring more to the minoxidil oral pill called Loniten, a blood pressure medication. Also, finasteride (Propecia/Proscar) when taken orally, can help with genetic male pattern hair loss (not female hair loss).